Harrow, n.3 Cricket.
The name of a public school at Harrow in Middlesex, used attrib. to designate: a bat of less than full size (also ellipt.); ‘a stroke by which the ball is driven in the direction of mid-off’ (Lewis); also, an ineffectual attempt at such a stroke; ‘the position of the fieldsman placed for the Harrow drive’ (Lewis).
| 1851 J. Pycroft Cricket Field ix. 171 ‘I beg your pardon, sir,’ he..said.., ‘but ain't you Harrow?’—‘Then we shan't want a man down there,’..; ‘stand for the {oqq} Harrow drive{cqq}, between point and middle wicket.’ 1877 C. Box Eng. Game Cricket 451 Harrow drive. Some persons define this phrase to mean a fluke in the slips, after an ineffectual attempt to play forward. 1887 J. Lillywhite Cricketers' Ann. (Advt.), 7 Youth's Cane-handled Bats. Harrow size. 1922 D. J. Knight First Steps to Batting i. 13 For a boy of 14 or 15 who has chosen a Harrow 2 lbs. 2½ oz. should be satisfactory. 1958 Times 22 May 15/4 It was pure pantomime with Chinese cuts and Harrow drives flying off Lobb's bat. 1970 Times 6 Mar. 16/8 His one escape was from a ‘Harrow’ drive, off McKenzie, which narrowly missed his leg stump. |